A host of issues like counter- terrorism, bilateral economic ties and cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy will figure in the crucial Indo-US Strategic Dialogue next week in New Delhi to be attended by top American officials led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton would be holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and her Indian counterpart SM Krishna during her stay in New Delhi on July 19, when the strategic dialogue would take place.
In the government-to-government talks, Clinton would be focusing primarily on where the two countries want to take this relationship forward, according to Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake.
"I think that's primarily on India's growing role in Asia and our ability to try to work more closely with India. Secondly, India['s role] in the wider region around particularly in Afghanistan and our hopes that we can significantly expand regional economic integration for the benefit not only of Afghanistan, but also Pakistan and India," he said.
India is "such an important part of that future vision because of the tremendous growth that Under Secretary [of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Robert] Hormats outlined," he said. Blake said counter-terrorism would be one of the important areas of talks wherein some announcements are expected.
Officials in the US delegation that would visit India include Director of National Intelligence James R Clapper, Jr, Director in the Office of Science and Technology Policy John P Holdren, Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman, Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Jane Holl Lute, and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator J Randolph Babbitt.
Indian-American Aneesh Chopra, the White House Chief Technology Officer, would also be part of the delegation, besides the Export-Import Bank Chair Fred P Hochberg; Overseas Private Investment Corporation Chair Elizabeth L Littlefield and Director in US Trade and Development Agency Lee Zak.
Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Hormats and Special US Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern are the top State Department officials along with Blake, who are part for the India trip.
